Harvard Tops Boston College With 82-81 Victory in Season Opener

Nov 14, 2009

Freshman Victoria Lippert made her first collegiate start in
Harvard's win against Boston College. She had 14 points, four
rebounds, a block and a steal in the winning effort. (Photo
courtesy of Gil Talbot).

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Junior Emma Markley
was one of four Crimson players to score in double figures as the
Harvard women’s basketball team held off Boston College,
82-81, Saturday evening at the Lavietes Pavilion. It was the second
straight win for the Crimson over the Eagles and first season
opening victory for Harvard since 2004.

Markley went 10-for-18 from the field for 23 points, a team-high
five rebounds and two blocks, while freshman Victoria Lippert added
14 in her collegiate debut. Junior Jackie Alemany came off the
bench to score 13, while classmate and co-captain Claire Wheeler
posted 12 points. Sophomore Brogan Berry set up the offense with a
career-high nine assists.

Harvard shot 52.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from
beyond the arc. Alemany, Wheeler and co-captain Christine Matera
each drained three treys in the winning effort.

Boston College took the early lead and moved out to a 14-5
advantage seven minutes into the game. The Crimson cut away at the
deficit and took its first lead of the game, 19-18, with 8:04 left
in the first half. The Crimson controlled the remaining minutes of
the stanza but held just a one-point advantage at the half,
34-33.

In the second session, Harvard opened up a seven-point advantage
on a Lippert jumper after four minutes of play. The Eagles chopped
away at the lead and did not let the Crimson get ahead by more than
two points over the next nine minutes. Boston College regained the
lead on a Jasmine Gill three-pointer with 7:47. The Eagles extended
it to five twice over the next two minutes, but the Crimson, with
the help of the 1,007 fans in attendance kept it close. Two free
throws from Lippert and another from Markley down the stretch made
the difference.

Harvard ties the Eagles in the all-time series and has won five of
the last six contests. This game featured 15 ties and nine lead
changes and neither team lead by more than nine points.

The Eagles edged the Crimson on the boards, pulling down 29
rebounds, one more than Harvard. The Crimson had 22 assists and
four blocks in the game as well.

Harvard hosts Maine in its second game of the season Tuesday, Nov.
17. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.